Australia Expels Russian Diplomats Over 'Brazen' Attack On Britain

Australia has become the latest country to expel Russian diplomats in a show of support for Britain over the Salisbury nerve agent attack.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called it a "disgraceful" and "brazen" attack and said his country "cannot and will not stand by and watch when the sovereignty of our allies and partners is threatened".

Earlier, Mr Turnbull and minister for foreign affairs Julie Bishop issued a joint statement saying two Russian diplomats identified as "undeclared intelligence officers" would be directed to leave the country within seven days.

More than 20 countries have sent over 100 Russian spies home, including 60 from the US and intelligence officers operating in Canada, Ukraine, Norway, Macedonia and Albania, as well as 16 from the European Union member states.

Mr Turnbull said the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, which has left them critically ill, was "an attack on all of us".

"It was an attack on the sovereignty of every nation that respects the rule of law and that is why we are taking this action today with another 23 nations around the world."

"We are defining this recklessness, this lawlessness, from Russia and expressing in solidarity with the United Kingdom and other nations that share those values that we will not tolerate this type of reckless undermining of international law, this reckless assault on the sovereignty of nations."

In response to the coordinated move, Moscow accused Western allies of "blindly following the principle of the Euro-Atlantic unity to the detriment of common sense, the norms of civilised inter-state dialogue and the principles of international law."

On Monday, Theresa May told the Commons it was the "largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers in history" and said more than 130 people could have been exposed to the Novichok nerve agent, with more than 50 people assessed in hospital.

"Together we have sent a message that we will not tolerate Russia's continued attempts to flout international law and undermine our values."

"President Putin's regime is carrying out acts of aggression against our shared values and interests within our continent and beyond."

"As a sovereign European democracy, the United Kingdom will stand shoulder to shoulder with the EU and with Nato to face down these threats together."

The former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia remain critically ill in hospital.

"Sadly, late last week, doctors indicated that their condition is unlikely to change in the near future, and they may never recover fully."

"This shows the utterly barbaric nature of this act and the dangers that hundreds of innocent citizens in Salisbury could have faced."

Within Mrs May's statement, she added: "Russia has investigated ways of delivering nerve agents, probably for assassination."

In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov said Russia would proceed from "principle of reciprocity."

Russia has already ordered 23 British diplomats to leave in response to the expulsion of a similar number of undeclared Russian intelligence officers from the UK.

The Russian foreign ministry said: "This provocative gesture of notorious solidarity with London, made by countries that preferred to follow in London's footsteps without bothering to look into other circumstances of the incident, merely continues the policy of escalating the confrontation."

The EU member states taking action include Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said countries of the world "have come together in numbers far greater than Putin could possibly have imagined and they are saying enough is enough".

In addition to the expulsions, the White House said the US was also closing the Russian consulate in Seattle "due to its proximity to one of our submarine bases and Boeing".

The White House said: "Today's actions make the United States safer by reducing Russia's ability to spy on Americans and to conduct covert operations that threaten America's national security."

"With these steps, the United States and our allies and partners make clear to Russia that its actions have consequences."